A simple story with a surprising turn of events that played out like a whodunit noir film and kept me intrigued throughout, I really enjoyed this one!

Reagan is one helluva woman (Air Force, y'all 🤌🏻) and I love how she thinks and acts. She kicked out the stereotypes, for real.

Cade gave Harvey Specter vibes, and I love when he's in work mode, and he probably loves his Porsche more than anything, (men ☕), except Reagan, of course 😌

I was invested in Cade and Reagan's relationship from the get-go. The amount of trust and honesty, and their mutual understanding and communication. The little things, the normalcy amidst all the bad things happening, I love them 😭

“I love you. Be careful.”The kind of relationship I yearn for in life 🥺❤️

P.S. Quick shout-out to Rafi, Evangeline and Armando for being great supportive characters!

Verdict: Solid debut, among the best legal thrillers 💥

Even When You Lie by Michelle Cruz I thought would be a fast paced thriller judging by the premise.

I turned out to be something quite different, the story was very interesting and I really liked it.
The beginning gripped me from the start but pretty soon it slowed down, the story started dragging, then it would pick up a pace and so on and this erratic pace caused my interest to wane.

I found this book a bit all over the place. At times it seemed like a romance book at times like a mystery, like the author couldn't decide what it wanted it to be.
I was very sorry that it didn't work out for me so well as I hoped it would as it showed so much promise.

I liked that there was a genuine love between the main characters but I at times I was frustrated with their in my opinion unnecessary lies and deception.

3.5 stars

Main Characters:
--Reagan Reyes – 29, former Air Force intelligence officer, also worked for a Congressman, currently the in-house investigator for Cade McCarrick, lives with Cade despite the policy against office romance
--Cade McCarrick – 34, defense attorney, a “fixer,” junior partner for Holcombe & Donaldson, estranged from his family who expected him to work the North Carolina family farm
--Evangeline – Cade’s paralegal
--Armando – Holcombe & Donaldson’s leading attorney on immigration and family law
--Bridger Holcombe – managing partner of Holcombe & Donaldson, was Kirby Donaldson’s college and law school roommate, one of Cade’s law school professors
--Kirby Donaldson – managing partner of Holcombe & Donaldson
--Rafi – homeless Army vet, dishonorably discharged, Reagan often sees him on the trail where she runs

Michelle Cruz’s debut novel shows promise. Not a resounding endorsement, I know. Even When You Lie is described as romantic suspense. Reagan and Cade started their relationship just a few months before the book starts. Reagan had been working for a Congressman and was tasked with finding Cade’s personal cell phone number. Her success led to him hiring her as his investigator, which led to what was supposed to be a one-night stand.

This particular story revolves around a mystery woman who drops off an envelope addressed to Cade containing a birth certificate and a photo. Cade isn’t there, but Reagan follows the woman out of the building and watches her collapse and die on a crowded sidewalk. Reagan is driven to investigate even though Cade tells her not to…until he needs her to because someone is after them.

Cade and Reagan are good together. I like their dynamic, and they complement one another. Her background in intelligence obviously helps him in his work, but she questions the wealthy defendants who can afford a fixer. She and Cade both come from humbler beginnings, which I would have liked to learn more about. They have agreed never to lie to one another, but they keep a ton of secrets…a lot of lies of omission.

I enjoyed the story line. It felt a little slow in the beginning, but it picked up. There was enough diversion to keep the reader guessing until the end. About halfway through, I thought Reagan had nearly solved the mystery a little too fast, but there were a couple of curveballs that threw things off enough to keep the story moving.

I won’t give anything away. You should be able to discover the ending just like I did. To be honest, I think I would have rated the book higher with less romance. Reagan wasn’t afraid to keep investigating, despite the threats to her and Cade’s safety. I would expect that from someone with a military background. She’s tough, but when it comes to Cade, she’s wishy washy. She questions their relationship. She thinks about how much she’s putting Cade’s career at risk, but she does nothing to protect it.

The romance doesn’t ruin the book. There are plenty of suspense novels that have a romantic element. But Reagan says at one point that love was not supposed to be a part of their story. Yet the number of “I love you’s” in the book went over the top. If the romance is going to be so central to the story, I would like to see more about how their relationship developed, especially what brought them to the decision to ignore company policy.

They both come from humble beginnings, but Cade’s don’t seem relevant. And since Reagan narrates the entire story, we only know what she knows about Cade’s past. We have no idea why Cade feels he can protect her if they get discovered.

The “secret” relationship also factors into the overall rating. Reagan keeps telling us that she doesn’t want to risk Cade’s shot at becoming a named partner if someone finds out. But they don’t try at all to keep their relationship a secret. They live together in a building with a doorman. We never see Reagan go back to the apartment she keeps as a cover. They go out together to bars in town with Evangeline and Armando. The only precaution they seem to take is not arriving and leaving the office and office events at the same time. Other than that, they’re literally not careful at all.

And then there’s Rafi, a homeless Army veteran who helps Reagan when she’s jumped from behind during a run. He goes from being homeless to Reagan helping him file papers to get his dishonorable discharge fixed to playing watchdog and bodyguard. There was not nearly enough back story to warrant Cade trusting Rafi enough to stay in the apartment to keep an eye on Reagan, no indication that he’s being paid for his time. So are we to believe that he’s still just this homeless guy who cleaned himself up and starts working for free?

I struggled a little over this rating. The book is better than “just ok” but not quite a 4-star read, so I had to settle on 3.5. This is a solid debut, and I have high hopes for this author. And maybe we’ll see Reagan and Cade again because I really do like them together…just a little less sappy.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and netgalley for this arc. I loved the mix of genres and innparticular thrillers and romances. And Texas is really great to read about. So many differences between the people I was never thinking. Love the layers of this book.

By turns smooth and raw, Even When You Lie is hard to put down. Armed with a sharp mind and an insatiable curiousity, our heroine digs into a murder no one wants solved, risking her relationship, her career, and the safety of everyone she loves. The mystery takes us from the glittering heights of Dallas society to the cracked pavement of back alleys and neglected neighborhoods, as seen through the eyes of someone balanced precariously between two worlds. I enjoyed the depiction of and reflections on Texas culture, both the good and the bad – as I always say, no one writes Texas like Texans. And the complicated characters and relationships kept me guessing as much as the question of whodunnit (my favored suspect was entirely too obvious in hindsight). Highly recommended to fans of noir fiction.

My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really intense, page-turning read and I enjoyed it a lot. It was very impressive for a debut author. I liked a lot about it and thought the pacing was excellent. There was a good mix of romance into this book as a thriller and it worked well. The two main characters were well crafted as was the setting.

Overall this was a really good solid read.

Given the fact that this is the debut novel from Michelle Cruz, I must admit that I am impressed! I always think there is something really special about any author's debut novel, and this is one that kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing the entire way. Now I'm just annoyed that Michelle Cruz hasn't written anything else for me to read yet. Lol. She is definitely an author to keep an eye on! Because I'm sure there will be more great things coming from her in the future. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read Even When You Lie.

this was much more of a romance novel than I expected, but I can't fault that because it could largely be my personal perception of the marketing that had me expecting less of a romance. It was also fairly steamy for an only part romance novel and I found myself wanting to skip past the steamy parts. In terms of the mystery, I guessed it early but I would absolutely recommend this book for romance readers who want to dip a toe into mystery/thriller!

Even When You Lie is a good suspense novel mixed with some romance. The novel is paced well, with a good mix of the investigation and romance. I love that it was set in Dallas and this was a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: overdose (side character), rape (past), sexual harassment, attempted murder, racism, discussions of homophobia, gun violence, self-defense, murder

This was a compulsively readable suspense. Plenty of twists and turns.

Steam: 2

Even When You Lie is a good suspense novel mixed with some romance. The novel follows Reagan Reyes, who is a in-house investigator for a high profile Dallas criminal defense attorney Cade McCarrick. The two are engaged in a secret relationship despite the law firms strict in-house no relationship rules. While at work one day, a mystery woman comes into the firm demanding to talk to Cade. Reagan tells her Cade isn’t there, but she leaves an envelope and runs out of the firm. Reagan follows her to make sure everything is okay and then witnesses her dying on the street outside. Reagan and Cade then attempt to investigate why she died, what did the information in the envelope mean and how was the law firm partners involved.

The novel is paced well, with a good mix of the investigation and romance. Sometimes the relationship felt a little juvenile with the fights, but it was explained as having issues with commitment and the secrecy of their relationship. However, both Reagan and Cade are great characters and I would continue reading a series with the characters in the book. I also really liked the setting of Dallas, Texas. I live in the area and enjoyed seeing the city through the authors eyes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an enjoyable romantic suspense novel. The main character Reagan Reyes is a strong, skilled, smart woman and her relationship with Cade McCarrick is steamy and breaks up with tension of the narrative. Would read more from this author.

I had some real big ups and downs with this book, mostly through every fault of my own. If you want to laugh about why this is, see the end of this review where I will explain behind a spoiler cut.

But this book was... okay. And its okay that it was only okay. The story was compelling enough, though a little convoluted in a way that made it seem like we were never going to get the truth out of any of the characters. And the resolution, while pulse-racing, felt a little flat. Was the outcome believable? Yes. Was the climax something that gripped my attention? Yes. But not in an all consuming way. It was as if I became a bystander overhearing the climax being told by someone else to someone else. Not sure if that makes a whole hell of a lot of sense, but there it is.

In terms of theme, this felt a little all over the place. There were times when it felt like Cruz was a half step away from being preachy about the military. There were times when it seemed like cultural identity was the focus, but only in situations where nothing good could come from claiming your cultural identity. Each theme was touched on throughout the story but it never felt like the story new how to grab onto them and own them.

Cade and Reagan are great characters, though I found it a bit annoying that the jacket copy says they never lie to each other and basically the ONLY thing Reagan successfully does every time she makes a discovery is hide, withhold, or lie about it. It felt very icky and weird to make the "we don't lie to each other" thing such a prominent part of their relationship and then undercut that at every turn. But I really did like the way that they grew to understand one another better, how they learned that they wanted more than stolen moments and the here and now, that they wanted to know how they each came to be and what their future could hold. I almost didn't feel this way but we'll get to that in a bit.

Overall, its a good book. Its a good read. Its a little like snack food. Its something fun to indulge in, and there's just a tiny bit of spice that also makes it worth it.

This was a debut story and I didn’t felt like it’s a debut at all!

I was so invested into it that I couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting.

Reagan is a retired military female character. Now she’s working for a lawyer firm and has a forbidden romance affair with one of the lawyers.

After Cade received a mysterious letter, the same woman is found dead and there’s a lot going on around the firm.

The story is full of suspenseful moments, when high positioned people are willing to do everything to hide their secrets but Reagan won’t give up on her investigation as to who was that victim and why she chose her boyfriend to be the last one who got in contact with.

I loved the dialogue, I loved the ups and downs parts of the romance story and I loved the overall feeling of watching a movie on the big screen instead of reading an actual book. That’s how engaging the story was for me.

📖NetGalley arc review

This was an enjoyable romantic thriller that had strong and very likeable characters.
Usually there is not enough romance but in this case there was a perfect amount of suspense to romance and it kept me engaged till the very end.

The cover depicts the setting and main characters perfectly.
Reagan was a Captain in the air force and now uses her former intelligence to investigate for Cade, who is a highly sought out defense attorney working at a prestigious law firm.

I really enjoyed reading about Cade and Reagan's dynamics from work to home life, their progress of working out what they both mean to each other while trying to hide it from their coworkers due to the non fraternization policy and solving the suspicious death of a woman who came into the firm to see Cade prior to her death. I liked that Cade didn't try to go all alpha and hold Reagan back from investigating even knowing how dangerous it was becoming, he supported her decisions and helped. It was fun following along on their journey of uncovering the truth.

I do wish I got to see the start of Cade and Reagan's relationship more, their one night stand, the many more hook ups that weren't supposed to mean anything. It's only briefly glossed over since they are already living together but not defining their relationship at the beginning of the book.

I also thought the villains demise was a bit anticlimactic, I would have liked for them to suffer more since they were so smug they would win.

Highly recommend if you like romantic thrillers with a smart heroine who holds her own against the dangerous wealthy elite.

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Michelle Cruz for the opportunity to read Even When You Lie.

Definitely a page-turner, with a good engaging story, and characters. I would like to have had a bit more of a back story about their relationship. At the beginning of this story, the relationship is already ongoing. I had questions. I was also a bit annoyed that after hearing about her military background she was not able to defend herself during some of the attacks. However, it was an enjoyable read.

Michelle Cruz is a debut author to watch. Even When You Lie is a fast-paced, twisty, tense novel that doesn’t hesitate to smash the glittering avenues of Texas wealth up against its gutters of corruption.

Reagan Reyes, a military veteran turned private investigator at a highbrow Dallas law firm, is walking a number of very fine tightropes. She has to cozy up to the law firm’s upper-class founders enough to ingratiate herself with them, but not so much that she loses her sense of self. She has to be professional with her lawyer boss during the day, even though she’s spending every night in his bed. And she’s investigating the suspicious death of a woman who visited the law firm, even though shadowy enemies clearly would rather she left well enough alone. Piece by piece, she must unravel the mystery before the killer can take everything she holds dear – her job, her love, and even her life.

Cruz expertly weaves themes of class, race, and justice into this dark, modern Texas noir. She brings a gritty realism to the character of Reagan, a tough, uncompromising Air Force vet disillusioned by the realities of being a woman in the military and being a plain-spoken, unapologetically competent investigator in a world that would prefer she apologize for herself and stop talking. Reagan has an excellent foil in Cade, a former small-town football hero torn between doing whatever it takes to escape his hardscrabble roots, and holding onto his morals. Together, the two are ambitious, driven, and steamy, exchanging rapid-fire banter that will make you laugh and gasp.

Add to all this the fact that Cruz's writing is the kind that, within a page, captures you with its smoky, weathered Southern flair and clever, evocative phrasing. Her voice is particularly beautiful whenever Cruz takes us to the Piney Woods of East Texas.

Highly recommend this page-turner by a bright new voice in southern fiction.

Well I have to admit to finding the US legal system somewhat confusing, however that did not really distract me from enjoying this book.
The story moves quickly and is full of action , there are a couple of twists in the plot which kept me engaged throughout the book . The main characters are well portrayed.
All in all a great read, thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest reviee

Fast-paced and so much fun. A recommended first purchase for collections where thrillers and romantic suspense are popular.

This was a good read for those who like mystery suspense books with romance thrown in. There are a number of likable characters and I appreciated that the main character is a strong, smart woman with a military background and Mexican ancestry. It’s a good glimpse into the corrupt world of the elite rich and powerful. It reads like it could be the first in a series and I’d happily read more.